"Bologna, I love you" - Interview with Sam Beukema

Total calm. A total calm that sets the backdrop for our afternoon spent together with Sam Beukema, in the beautiful setting of Renato Dall'Ara. It's hot in Bologna, the sun's rays reflect off the Carmen Longo swimming pool building – located behind the central stand of the stadium – lighting it in an unusual, much more vibrant color. There's an air of magic, the same one that accompanies the season of an outstanding Bologna, guided by the strategic decisions of Giovanni Sartori and the on-field decisions of Vincenzo Italiano. With immense calm – and in full C.P. Company gear, which is the Bologna’s new fashion partner this year – Sam Beukema comes to greet us. The Dutch defender is one of the cornerstones of the club's team; he's well-liked by everyone, especially by the staff present at the stadium at that moment. "We were with your father yesterday, Sam," the staff members at the Bologna Store, located right between the pool building and the Dall'Ara, tell him. "Yes, that man with the long red hair, everyone already knows him," Beukema replies with amusement.

After 14 seasons in the youth and first teams of Go Ahead Eagles, Twente, and AZ Alkmaar, he found a second home in Bologna.  But Italy was always present in his personal life before it was also present in his professional life. "My mother had a house in Riccione for 15 years, so for me, Bologna, as well as all of Emilia Romagna, holds a different meaning; it's really like a second home. I remember many moments I spent in these areas during my younger years, in fact, this experience that has already lasted two years in Bologna feels like a return for me; I have a bond with this land. It was a beautiful twist of fate to end up here: I love the people and every part of Bologna. But as always, I must thank Riccione for making me realize that summer in Italy is unparalleled, unlike in the Netherlands!"

Everyone has at least a second for Beukema when they meet him on this ordinary Tuesday in March. The Dall'Ara custodian is driving a golf cart around the stadium's perimeter and offers him a ride; he declines, as we all enter the stadium together. It’s Sam who escorts us to the locker rooms, revealing a few small secrets.

"Here (he points to a corner of the locker room near the whiteboard, ed.) is where the coach usually stands when he has to give us instructions before the game. Italiano has a different energy, he's an incredible character." Meanwhile, he tries on C.P. Company clothes after showing us around the team's locker room, and has fun looking at himself in the mirror to see how the two Goggle Jackets fit, pulling up and tightening the iconic hood with the two lenses. "It was great news when we found out that we would have C.P. Company as a fashion partner this year. The funniest part was discovering that each department had a different jacket for the Champions League away trips: for example, it seems that the one made for defenders was really popular. I love my C.P. Company look, and it’s a shame I can only wear it during Champions League away trips."

The partnership between C.P. Company and Bologna – an important chapter in sportswear for the Italian brand after its sponsorship with Manchester City – seems to have drawn Sam Beukema closer to fashion: today he has developed a greater sensitivity to it. The Dutchman has discovered a certain pleasure in wearing stylish clothes, but especially in appreciating garments that express identity, tradition, and Italian know-how. "I like to showcase my style, both when I go out with my teammates and when I travel: it boosts my self-esteem. But not too much, not like Dan Ndoye. I appreciate his style; along with Lewis Ferguson, he's one of my best friends, but sometimes it's really too much." He doesn't hesitate to tell us the brands he would wear every day: Carhartt, Nike, Supreme, Gallery Dept., Goyard – we should've figured it out from the pouch he brought with him, practically a cliché for a footballer.

Who knows what Sam Beukema had in it, perhaps a PlayStation 5 joystick? He tells us about his passions and future plans that go beyond the tough life of a footballer. "I have a plan. Starting next year, I want to begin streaming with my Dutch friends. When I'm alone, I play FIFA Ultimate Team, where I consider myself quite good; when I'm with them, we enjoy playing the Pro Club mode, you know? The one where you have to customize your player: you can make him 2.20 meters tall and give him the weirdest hairstyles, we have fun, it's my way of escaping reality, the footballer’s life, which is full of commitments and responsibilities."

Meeting Sam Beukema allowed us to discover not only his personality, passions, and relationship with the city of Bologna, but also to open a 360-degree view on what it means to live Bologna and FC Bologna. A mechanism where all the gears work perfectly, a season after another. Bologna is about planning and represents a club that enjoys significant well-being, which reflects on everyone involved: fans, players, staff. By telling Sam Beukema’s story, you breathe Bologna, in its most authentic expression.